


There Were Heroes on That Mission

by wbh



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Afterlife, Canonical Character Death, Force Ghosts, Gen, in which I have feelings about Paige Tico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 02:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13090266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wbh/pseuds/wbh
Summary: Paige Tico, one with the Force





	There Were Heroes on That Mission

Paige heard Poe, faintly, over the comm. Yelling her name. It was down to her, she knew that. She could do this.

Paige kicked the support strut again, as hard as she could, still aching from her fall down the bomber shaft. _Come on, come on…_

The detonator fell. Time seemed to slow, and Paige watched it as if in slow motion. It wasn’t going to land on her platform. It was going to fall past her. She reached --

 _Got it._ Triumphant, Paige pressed the button, tears welling up even as she knew she’d done it. She’d accomplished the mission, done what no one else had been able to. She closed her eyes, feeling the ship rock as the bombs dropped onto the Dreadnought below. She heard the ship begin to explode around her, and felt a wave of heat. _I’m sorry Rose_ …

* * *

Quiet.

 

Peace.

 

Contentment.

 

Paige didn’t know how to describe where she was. She didn’t really need to open her eyes (did she have eyes?) but she felt a sensation like she was, like things shifted... Her perception barely changed. She was, but wasn’t. She was wrapped in calm, undisturbed. If someone had asked, she wouldn’t have been able to describe where she was. It wasn’t bright, or dark, or grey, or anything she could think of. She just...was, in a place that also just...was.

Suddenly, but not suddenly at all, Paige was surrounded by other people. They hadn’t approached, they were simply there. Like Paige.

She looked at the five of them, and was glad to see they still looked like people. That probably meant she still looked like herself. There was a blind man carrying a staff, and standing next to him a very tall man with long hair. A pale woman stood with her arms crossed, in contrast to the soft expression on her face. Next to her were a slim man wearing an old Rebellion captain’s jacket, and a short man with long black hair and in-flight repair goggles perched on his forehead.

“Hi,” she said, still calm, but a little confused.

The blind man waved, while his taller partner huffed at him.

“Hello,” said the man in the captain’s jacket, kindly.

“Am I…” Paige felt she should be afraid to ask this, but it felt right. Good, even. “Am I dead?”

The blind man tapped his partner expectantly with his staff.

“You are one with the Force,” the tall man grumbled, resignedly. “So yes.”

“Oh.” said Paige. That made sense. “I hope...I hope it worked. I hope I helped the Resistance get away.”

“You did,” the woman said. “Things aren’t easy for them, won’t be for a long time, but without you, that Dreadnought would have eventually caught up to the fleet. You saved them, Paige Tico.”

Paige wondered how the woman knew her name, and suddenly she knew all of theirs. Chirrut Imwe. Baze Malbus. Jyn Erso. Cassian Andor. Bodhi Rook. One with the Force. Right.

“Poe’s probably going to get in trouble,” Paige said, distantly aware that she didn’t feel as much about that as she once might have.

“Probably,” Cassian said, with a small smile. “But war and command are complicated. He’ll be alright. I know that you did everything you could for the Rebellion. That’s why we’re here. You’re a hero, Paige.”

Paige felt like she would have cried at that, if she could. She nodded, feeling almost overwhelmed by this strange peace in death, all other concerns blanketed by the strange knowledge that these people and others who’d died heroes would be with her, forever. But one thing still kept her tethered, stopped her from floating away with them. She supposed it was why they’d shown up at all, and she hadn’t totally disappeared into the living Force yet.

“I hope Rose understands,” she said, softly, feeling pain for the first time in this place, distant as it was. “I always told her, we have to do what’s right…” she trailed off. She’d looked after her sister since they’d fled their homeworld, since they’d joined the Resistance. Rose needed her.

“She will,” the man with the goggles spoke up for the first time. Bodhi. Suddenly, he was next to her, putting a hand on her arm. “She’ll miss you, she’ll always miss you, but she’s making new friends right now. You’ll inspire her, and she has a lot left to do. But you’ve done enough, Paige. It’s time to rest. I promise, we’re not so bad.” He jerked his head to indicate his companions, and Chirrut laughed softly while Cassian put his arm around Jyn affectionately.

“You can see Rose?” Paige asked, still clinging to her life, and her sister. “Could I? See how she’s doing, I mean?”

“Of course,” Bodhi smiled. “It gets easier, the longer you’re here. I can help you. We can watch over her together.”

Paige nodded, finally letting go. She felt herself being swept more fully into contentment and a quiet thrum of energy, although the feeling of Bodhi’s hand on her arm did not fade. He would guide her.

Paige fell more fully into peace, finally drifting away into the eternity of the Force, but if she could have in that moment, she would have smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> With many thanks to eisoj5, without whom these feelings would not have been stirred up, and this would not have been written.
> 
> Dedicated to all older sisters.


End file.
